“What is it, what does it do and what are best practices?”, I wondered when I heard that I was the designated jury member to chair the digital marketing session...

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EliRingerSunday 18, May 2014 06:39 AM

@Eli Ringer: Uniliever, UPS and BT - how do they use sustainability to create new business models...?

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RT @TCS_News: Hear Geert-Jan Van Der Zanden on new services and business models for the power sector being disrupted by new technologies. #…

skap5Sunday 18, May 2014 01:51 PM

.@KatieCW Indeed. Government leaders should be exploring new citizen-centered business models to transform communities.

New business models in India

Social entrepreneurs tap hybrid business model

The author has posted comments on this article, TNN
MUMBAI: Traditionally, a not-for-profit entity or non-government organization (NGO) got grants for various socially relevant projects and implemented them. But, with grants drying up and an increasing tribe of social impact venture capitalists willing to invest in a for-profit corporate set up, a large number of NGOs are adopting the hybrid model. This also helps them to scale up the value chain and hire the right talent.

Corporate and tax laws necessitate setting up of two distinct legal structures. Typically, the not-for-profit arm carries out its activities as a trust or society, whereas a private company is set up for carrying out business or profit-based activities.

"Transitions towards hybrid models are more visible when poor families are willing to pay a small fee for services - say agri inputs on phone for farmers or vocational skill training; or when there is a market for goods produced by people at the bottom of the pyramid, " says Parvathi Menon, MD, Innovation Alchemy Consulting, which nurtures entities undergoing such transformation.

Some NGOs envisage a hybrid model right from inception, as was the case with Under the Mango Tree (UTMT). It provides bee keeping training to tribal farmers and procures and sells honey and allied produce in cities.

Interestingly, at UTMT, the for-profit entity was set up first. "My past experience helped me realize that NGOs tend to search for market access after income generation activities have taken off - and this approach is often unsuccessful. Thus, I created the for-profit arm first to test whether there was a market for good quality single-origin organic honey. Now, honey collected from farmers trained by our not-for-profit entity just flows into our distribution network, " explains, Vijaya Pastala, CEO, UTMT.

Largely, the for-profit entity is created at a later stage. In this context, Vishnu Swaminathan, India Director of Ashoka, an international network of social entrepreneurs, says: "In such instances, founders of NGOs do find the transition a bit difficult. Most important is the need to have a different mindset. Only then can the economic and social benefits of a hybrid model be reaped."

Kannan Lakshminaryan, an IIT alumnus, has set up Fractal Foundation as a trust and Microspin as a private company. The former introduces new technologies among target users. For instance, the micro-spinning technology was spread to rural pockets through this trust. Microspin provides comprehensive technology-aided solutions for widespread adoption of the means of converting raw cotton into yarn and then on to fabrics on a small scale.

"Fractal aims to provide limited financial assistance and infrastructure at an early stage. If an idea fails, it can be written off without regret. But, when the 'business case' can be articulated cogently enough to attract needed funding on acceptable terms - that's when I incorporate it as a company, " explains Lakshminarayan. Another company engaged in vocational skills training has also been set up.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Indian legal offshore biz up as US slumps

by new_name_is_sanjay

The legal outsourcing market in India is still a baby compared to other offshore models
New Delhi: Bad times for some American companies is turning into good times for Indias legal offshoring industry.
For reasons largely economic and partly cultural, Indias legal process outsourcing, or LPO, services providers have seen a sizeable uptick in business since the US economy has faltered. In particular, firms that handle support functions, such as reviewing documents and researching witnesses for US litigation, have enjoyed the biggest increases amid mounting disputes over who knew what and when in the mortgage and related markets meltdown

Dell Says New Focus Will Cut Into Profit

by rabidvampirebats

Dell Inc. warned investors yesterday that its shift in strategy to focus on higher profit margins would result in lower-than-expected revenue and earnings in the third quarter. The company, the world's largest PC vendor, expects a more pronounced decline on the top line. Dell said it would report revenue of about $13.9 billion, compared with earlier indications that it would bring in $14.1 billion to $14.5 billion. It said it would announce earnings on Nov. 10.
Dell, which is based in Round Rock, Tex., will also take a third-quarter charge of about $450 million, or about 14 cents a share, resulting in earnings of 25 cents a share

You have a valid point - reason being is....

by ----------

The business models are mostly uniform across the board with various establishments.
Places of work vary only in terms of goods & services, corp culture, # of employees, location and size.
Overall, the business model (the way business is run, how employees are treated, and how performance measures are evaluated) all of these are drummed up by Corp legal council to avoid nuisance lawsuits.
This results in:
employee morale problems
employee dissatisfaction
employee health issues being compromised
employee turnover
----
this benefits the employer because today most people can do most jobs

Report: IBM Named #1 Preferred Provider of IaaS Cloud by Enterprises — Virtual-Strategy Magazine Ultimately, the report states, players competing in the cloud services market will need to build to the end-state structure of a cloud service provider business model that resembles the automotive factory model of services delivery involving a robust ..

Reframing the fiduciary debate — BenefitsProRhoades proposes we reframe the argument by shifting the focus from the service provider's business model to the clients' best interests. Furthermore, he suggests we move the venue from the offices of regulators to the kitchen tables of clients.